Where to spend your time on SEO

Roofing contractors should know that it is important to keep up with how search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing are changing and adjusting their algorithms (almost daily in some cases) in order to provide the best search engine optimization (SEO) and social media results.

In 2011 there is a clear pattern of social media influencing search results. If you had to pick just two areas to focus on for the rest of the year, here is what RoofPal.com would recommend: content and social media sharing.

Content is the cornerstone for improved keyword rankings and building inbound links over time. A lot of properly optimized content written on various strategic keyword themes drives more visits and improves search results in the long run. Blogging is a great way to frequently add content to your website. If you’re not already blogging for improved SEO results, what are you waiting for? It’s time for you to start blogging and writing content now! If you aren't sure how or just don't have the time, RoofPal.com can assist you with this.

Something important to keep in mind is that search results vary according to the personalization of the person doing the search. This personalization brings us more relevant, useful search results and makes relevant, SEO-friendly content more important than ever. This means no more top rankings or number one rankings for certain keywords, as SEO results vary from user to user. Writing optimized content regularly in addition to tracking your traffic and ROI is what’s important, not necessarily tracking individual keyword rankings.

The bottom line is that the more SEO-friendly and industry-relevant content you write, the more chances your target audience is going to find you.

Once you start blogging frequently, the next step is to share it via your social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. This is no small task - just like writing content takes time and effort, social media sharing takes effort as well. But the time and effort and repetition day-in and day-out reaps tremendous benefits in the long run. Social media sharing provides SEO benefits in addition to improved lead generation results over time.

To expand your reach and improve SEO even further, it is important that you, your employees, and even friends and family if possible share your blog posts. The more people sharing your content in social media, the better. Good content spreads like a wildfire. Also, make it easy for your visitors to share your content. Be sure social media buttons are on all your web pages so that your visitors can socialize and engage with you and share your content.

Search engines are starting to heavily incorporate social media into search results. Social media should work together with SEO, so start integrating social media sharing into your content strategy for improved SEO results.

If you have any questions on this topic, please email Chris@RoofPal.com.

Social media directly influences search rankings

Google and Bing’s search results are now being adjusted on a per-person basis depending on the searcher’s social connections.

For example, if you follow RoofPal on Twitter and then search for 'QR Code Roofing', my article on this topic it would rank higher than it would if you didn’t follow me on Twitter. This is because Google’s algorithm assumes that because we are connected, my voice as a social connection should be more influential to your search than others.



That’s a big deal for three reasons:

1. Influencers who have large social networks no longer just spread word of mouth, they now causing search engine adjustments based on what they share.

2. “#1 ranking for a keyword” on Google is less meaningful now if the #1 is displaced by social sharing influence. My #1 result for a search term will be significantly different than yours because we are connected to different people on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

3. If you marketing a product or service there is now a direct incentive to build your network as large as possible among your prospective customers. By connecting with potential customers in as many social channels as possible, you are effectively doing free targeted advertising in organic search, with your results ranking higher than your competitors who aren't connected to them on social media.

I highly recommend connecting with your customers and prospective customers as soon as possible on all platforms. Put a form on your website to ask people for their Twitter ID or Facebook or LinkedIn name. Ask on each platform. Connect everywhere. Also, even though there is no direct evidence that the content around a socially shared link matters, it’s still not a bad idea to give it some context, both for followers and possible contextual association. Here’s an example of two tweets:

Check out my new article @RoofPal: http://roofpal.com/Documents/RoofPal%20QR%20Codes%20Roofing%20Industry.pdf

Check out my new article on QR Codes for roofing contractors @RoofPal: http://roofpal.com/Documents/RoofPal%20QR%20Codes%20Roofing%20Industry.pdf

This is going to have massive ripple effects throughout the social and search industries. Start making these changes effective immediately, and you’ll be ahead of the curve and your competitors.

For more, please read the June 23rd blog post by Christopher S Penn

RoofPal's New RoofCAD Service

RoofPal blindly measured this roof at
97% accuracy (just using a satellite
image) vs. hand-measuring it.

RoofPal blindly measured this roof at
100% accuracy (just using a satellite
image) vs. hand-measuring it.

RoofPal is very happy to launch our newest service... RoofCAD drawings! Because we don't have the overhead the "brand name" companies do we can offer the same quality to you at 1/2 to even 1/3 their price.

Each building is just $10. We ask that you purchase at least 5 at a time though. Please see http://roofpal.com/roofcad.aspx for more information.

Our first customer for this service was very satisfied. Our measurements of residential roofs came out within an average of 98% accuracy (+/- 0.67 square, or less than 1 bundle of shingles). We had no information other than the address, and could have been 100% accurate on all of them had he provided us with just one of the measurements for each roof (which we strongly encourage). We will continue to get closer and closer to 100% accuracy without even one measurement provided beforehand, but still he felt the time he would have saved in driving to and from, measuring the roof, and drawing up the sketch was well worth the $10.

If you have any questions or would like to order drawings, please first view our webpage and then feel free to contact us anytime.

RoofPal blindly measured this roof at
99% accuracy (just using a satellite
image) vs. hand-measuring it.

RoofPal blindly measured this roof at
97% accuracy (just using a satellite
image) vs. hand-measuring it.

Pictures of the Chase Field Roof Coating Project

RoofPal has developed a slideshow presentation of the re-coating of the Chase Field roof for KM Coatings.

The original PVC roof absorbed dirt, dust and exhaust from commercial airplane traffic over the past 12+ years, and powerwashing alone would only make it white again for a couple weeks so the City of Phoenix decided it was time for a coating before the 2011 MLB All-Star Game.

Click here to read more about the project  |  Click here to view the pictures

QR Codes for Roofing Contractors

Roofing contractors should take notice of QR (Quick Response) Codes – a two-dimensional bar code that can be scanned by smart phone cameras to automatically pull up websites, photos, videos, audio, and more on a web-enabled phone, identify geo locations of people and products, automatically add calendar events or contact information to another person’s address book, or initiate phone calls or text/SMS messages.

QR codes have been around since 1994 in Japanese manufacturing processes, but they have many uses for a residential or commercial roofing contractor. They are very simple to use and can be created for free. QR Code reader applications can be downloaded at no cost to any smart phone.

How can roofing contractors use QR Codes?

Since QR Codes can be printed on just about anything, they can be used for so much more than marketing and advertising. Please scan the QR Code you see at the top-left corner of this blog post to view my list of ideas on how roofing contractors can put QR Codes to work for your company.

How do you create and read QR Codes?

There are hundreds of websites you can use to generate QR Codes. I recommend Google’s free QR Code Creator or Kaywa - they are quick, easy and free to use.

There are many free applications you can download for your smart phone to read QR Codes. I use the Google Goggles app for my Android phone. If you have a different type of phone, try one of these options: for the iPhone install either the Barcode Reader, QuickMark or Optiscan applications, for the Android install the Barcode Scanner or Google Goggles, or for Windows phones install the QuickMark application. You can also perform a Google search for the term “QR Code scanner” or “barcode reader” to find more options.

If you have any questions about the use of QR Codes in the roofing industry or would like help developing and implementing a QR Code strategy, please email me at Chris@RoofPal.com.

** For my full article on QR Codes for the roofing industry, please click here. **